Dog-loving grandfather tragically dies after he jumped into flood waters to rescue a puppy from drowning
The 68-year-old’s death has left his son, daughter and granddaughter devastated
PORTO ALEGRE, BRAZIL: A heroic man, who attempted to save a puppy from flood waters, unfortunately lost his life in the process.
Evandro Bertoldi, 68, died earlier this week while being stuck in an extratropical cyclone that hit the Brazilian state of Rio Grande do Sul on Monday, September 4, the Daily Mail reported.
It has been said that the elderly man was one of the 41 people who lost their lives in the natural disaster. At the time of his death, Bertoldi was taking shelter in a home’s second floor, which is located in the city of Muçum.
‘I don't wish it on anyone’
The old man’s son Leandro got to learn about his father’s death on September 6. But he had to go to Porto Alegre, on September 7, to identify his remains.
The son reportedly shared, “I found out from people that he was at his neighbor's house, a two-story house, and saw a little dog drowning.”
He continued, “As he likes animals, he went to try to help the dog and didn't come back.”
Leandro also revealed that Bertoldi’s daughter and granddaughter have been left devastated.
He said, “I don't wish it on anyone. I have a sister, Gabriela. She's in a panic. It's just me and her left.”
Mentioning his own daughter's reaction, he revealed, “My daughter just cries.”
“She had agreed with my father that there was going to be a horse ride there in the town, and he was going to see her there. Now it all went down the drain,” Leandro added.
‘Entire cities were completely compromised’
Meanwhile, reports have said that over 60 cities have faced extreme devastation because of the cyclone.
Rio Grande do Sul's governor, Eduardo Leite, said, as reported by CBS News, “The fly-over we just did, shows the dimension of an absolutely out-of-the-ordinary event.”
“It wasn't just riverside communities that were hit, but entire cities that were completely compromised,” he noted.
Besides, the National Weather Service said that the cyclones “have cold air at the core” and “derive their energy from the release of potential energy when cold and warm air masses interact.”
It added that the winds can be “as weak as a tropical depression, or as strong as a hurricane.”
